For the New Year
by Emerald Twin Blade
Summary: 2-Part 3-Word Prompt Project. A year or so before Episode 1. Happy New Year, Everybody! Oz x Gil.


For the New Year

_A Pandora Hearts 2-Part 3-Word Prompt Project_

By Emerald Twin Blade

disclaimer: Emerald doesn't own Pandora Hearts. That's it.

dedication: **The Lady Yuki**, who gave me the words for this. X3 Happy New Year!!

**: ****Fragment No.01**** : **_Champagne, Mirror, Darkness_

Musical instruments played joyously, filling the dimly lit ballroom with magnificent sound. The huge area of the Vessalius mansion was illuminated by scattered candle and torchlight, carefully placed crystal objects causing rainbow light to reflect on the walls, ceiling and floor. Many aristocrats danced and laughed and socialized; of course, only _the_ highest of each rich house had been invited to the famed Vessalius household.

Oscar Vessalius was surely enjoying himself, good-naturedly courting one of the single ladies who had shown up to the Last Day of the Year party. With his left hand, he straightened the snow white tie he wore around his neck and tucked it into his equally white dress coat. He held a glass of fine champagne up to her, smiling charmingly.

The cheery laughter of other young lords- and ladies-to-be drew his attention, narrow green eyes scanning the preteens for the one he himself had taken under his wing. None of the boys in the group had the unordinary blonde hair or amazingly lime green eyes; none of the girls in the cluster were being courted! The man snuck a glance over his shoulder, noticing the little, black-haired duckling that normally stuck to his nephew like glue. He politely excused himself from the lovely brunette he had been socializing with before casually making his way over to the refreshments table.

"Gilbert, my boy! You look dashing this evening," Oscar complimented, clamping a large, glove-covered hand over the fourteen-year-old's shoulder.

The young servant jumped, having received a fright from the sudden grab. Bright yellow eyes looked up to the man, knowing exactly what he would be asked.

The duke's grip tightened as he easily kept a calm look on his face to fool onlookers, "Would you know where my adorable little nephew is?"

Gilbert nervously picked up his right hand to push his wavy black bangs out of his face, only to have them fall back into place a second after. An anxiety-ridden smile twitched on his lips as he threw his gaze somewhere to the side.

"A-ah… I actually don't know right now, Oscar-sama! I haven't seen him since I left him changing into his clothes for the ball."

Although unconvinced, the blonde-haired man released the little servant boy, smiling that too-perfect Vessalius smile, "If you say so… If you happen to find him, please tell him to mingle with some of the guests! It pays to have friends in the other dukedoms."

"Y-yes… I'll remind him, Oscar-sama." Gilbert bowed deeply, receiving a nod and grunt in acknowledgement before watching Oscar's shiny black dress shoes walk in the opposite direction. He let out a long breath he had not realized he was holding, casting a glimpse up the ornate, Victorian-style staircase that led up to the second and third floors of the mansion, "Bocchan… where _are_ you?"

He wiped off a bit of dust from his black butlers' garb before holding his hands together, waiting to be given an order by one of the many aristocrats that filled the room.

Gilbert had been given '_Refreshment Duty_' and was required to give drinks, alcoholic or not, to the guests. An easy job, yes, but relatively uneventful. Truth be told, he would much rather be at his young master's side, but even so, he had no idea _where_ he was to begin with.

Not knowing of his whereabouts was bothersome… It made him itch to go find his master, the one person who he would willingly give himself completely to… A vibrant blush painted his cheeks light red, hardly visible in the dimness of the ballroom; even though his master was quite the sadist and loved to tease him mercilessly, he still could not prevent himself from having feelings for the blonde-haired devil that a servant should _definitely_ not have for his master.

"Excuse me! Sparkling apple cider, if you please!" A young lady holding a lavender mask of ivory feathers to her face ordered sweetly, smiling coldly.

Gilbert snapped himself out of his wandering thoughts, hurrying to pour the transparent liquid into one of the fancy glasses set over the refreshment table. He gracelessly held it out to her, offering an awkward smile in apology. The girl took the glass and spun on her heel, scuttling off to join a group of other young lords and ladies.

The black-haired servant sighed, yellow hues staring down at his slightly scuffed dress shoes. Why was he so clumsy? Why did he worry over every little thing? Why, though tortured every day since he came into the Vessalius household, was he in love with its young master and soon-to-be youngest aristocrat?

He bit his lower lip, shutting his eyes before looking back toward the stairs. There was still no sign of his master, but this time, he caught the glow of his golden eyes in a mirror. He could vaguely make out his outline, darker than the rest of his surroundings. Grief instantly became evident in those florescent orbs, his vision darkening his reflection.

He could feel it… the Darkness emanating in his heart. He knew that there was no light shining anywhere inside of him… at least, none that he could remember. He had lost his memory when he was found nearly five years ago in the garden of the Vessalius mansion, and he still had yet to recall anything from his past.

Everything that he knew was Oz Vessalius, and he felt that was all he needed, or wanted.

Suddenly, a spotlight lit up at the top of the staircase, showed a fourteen-year-old boy standing in the center of the floor on the second floor. He held a fully-bloomed red rose between his index finger and thumb, holding it softly to his nose as his pinky poked outward courteously. His other hand was in the pocket of his long white coat, elbow bent inward elegantly.

Gilbert found himself dumbstruck at the mere majesty that was his master. Golden blonde hair swayed gently with the breeze of wind from an open window, casting thin shadows over his perfect ivory face. Charm and charisma radiated from his enchanting lime green eyes, giving all of the important people in the room the illusion of his maturity.

The servant felt his face warm up significantly as he took a hesitant step toward the staircase.

_I want… to be with Bocchan…_

He quickly stopped himself from continuing any further, simply watching the splendor of Oz Vessalius from the end of the stairs. Once again, his Darkness kept him from advancing any further…

Oz was made of pure Light… He could make friends with anyone he wanted to, _and_ he was the next in line to take over as the head of the Vessalius house. What was one servant boy in comparison with other aristocrats?

_Bocchan doesn't need me…_ He told himself mentally, having unwillingly torn his gaze from his beloved master, _I… need to stop believing that we can be more than just master and servant. I'm fine, as long as I can be by his side._

"Come on, everyone, it's almost the New Year! Let's count it down! Sixty! Fifty-nine!" Oz called aloud to the entire audience in the ballroom.

All of the people automatically continued to count down the seconds along with the young blonde. Gilbert, however, could not bring himself to join in.

The Vessalius boy looked down at the black-haired servant, noticing the cloud of shadows hanging over him. He merely smiled gently before winking at the crowd and calling out, "_Thirty!_"

He rushed down the staircase, hopping two at a time, until he landed directly beside his dearest servant, "Gil!"

Gilbert, startled, jumped backward, nearly falling onto the refreshment table and into the jugs and glasses of drink. Oz easily reached around the servant's waist and pulled him back to stand firm on the tile floor. The black-haired boy's face was bright red as he stared golden yellow eyes into lime green ones.

"B-Bocchan…"

"_Ne_, Gil… Did you know…?"

**Twenty! Nineteen! Eighteen!—**

"Huh…?" He wondered, feeling the tender touch of his master's ungloved right hand running over his neck and slowly settling over his cheek.

A loving caress… What was Oz _doing_?!

"There's a legend… that if two people who cherish each other very, very much kiss the _second_ of the New Year… they'll be together forever."

**Five! Four! Three!**

"Wha—!?" Gilbert started, stunned by what he was being told, "Boccha—"

**Two! One!!—**

Oz tilted the black-haired servant's chin upward and, in an instant, he covered Gilbert's mouth with his own in a swift, chaste kiss.

When he pulled away from the younger boy, everyone around them was already cheering and happily bidding each other well for the coming year.

Gilbert found himself staring directly at his master, golden hues wide in disbelief and cheeks aflame. Oz had a pleasant smile on his face, a light tinge of red touching his cheeks as he bent forward to bump his forehead against Gilbert's.

"Happy New Year, Gil."


End file.
